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"Some characters were annoying"

Surprised me how much I did 'heart' this book

I had enjoyed the first books in the 'I Heart' series, even though I did have some complaints with it. However, those niggles didn't stop me reading on and when I noticed this one in a pile that my friend lent me, I soon got stuck in.

In this book Angela has settled down and is loving life. She lives with her rock star boyfriend in an apartment in trendy Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The only fly in her ointment is she doesn't have a job but is optimistic that her next job is just around the corner and she just needs to stay positive and it will happen. In the meantime, she has Alex's homecoming after his band toured Japan and is stunned when she receives a letter from the IRS informing her that as her visa was job related, the fact she has no job means that she will be deported in a month's time unless she gets another job.

This book is firmly in the chick lit category and having read two books in the series already, I had an idea what to expect and this one didn’t disappoint. However, the things that did annoy me with the first book have been toned down. The first book showed Angela having incredible luck and always landing on her feet which did annoy me. In this book though, real life has kicked in and the threat of deportation at the start of the book is a real different direction for the series to take. I do feel that as the series goes on, the books are getting better and even if you read the first one and didn't like it, I would recommend checking out further books in the series anyway if you are a fan of the genre.

I did find that this book was slightly predictable and after the first two or three chapters, I could guess what the ending would be. It didn't stop me reading on though as there was something about the book that held my attention. There was something endearing and compelling through this book that left me wanting to read on and the humourous touches also made this a must read book.

I do like the character of Angie even if she can sometimes be irresponsible, self-centred and childish. I probably wouldn't be friends with her in real like though but that doesn't stop me appreciating the character. She can be quite funny though and quite caring when it comes to her friends which goes some way to redeeming the character in my opinion.

My friend lent me her copy of the book so it cost me nothing but if this is a book that you want to read, it is available from Amazon at the following prices:
£3.49 for Kindle
£6.39 for a new paperback
Used paperbacks are also available from 1p although there is a £2.80 P&P charge as well.

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Another instalment of the 'I heart' series

I have read every one of the 'I heart' series of books written by Lindsey Kelk and this one got put on my Christmas list because I knew it was getting released in early December 2011. In fact, it was difficult for me as I wanted to just go out and buy it but, I knew it would be nicer to receive it as a gift so I held back and when I opened what was obviously a book shaped package on Christmas day, I was very excited that this had been bought from my list! I pretty much then started it straight away and finished it in no time at all.

The author:Lindsey is an English author who now lives in New York. She has now written five books, four of which are in the 'I heart' series and she has also written a short story based on another character from these books which is only available to download (boo!).

The plot:Angela Clark is still happily living in New York; the only problem currently is that she is jobless after her arch enemy Cici managed to assist in her losing her job. Without a job she is struggling and so even though she is now happily loved up with her boyfriend Alex, without a job she is now just a standard tourist and her visa is running out! With just weeks to go before the deadline for her new visa, she must manage to find a job or it will be back to the UK for her so it seems the sensible thing to do not worry Alex with her visa worries whilst she gets it sorted. As always, her friend Jenny is on hand to help and with a trip to Vegas seeming like the best way to have a last trip before sorting out the Visa, what could possibly go wrong? Before long, they are jetting off from the East coast to the glittering desert region and enjoying some Vegas time but, this is Angela and no trip would be the same if it didn't have a few hiccups along the way!

Characters:Angela Clark is the same as ever in that she thinks a miraculous plan will come up for her to solve all her problems and as usual she never knows how to bring a difficult subject up so she always seems to end up in more of a pickle because of it! I do sometimes find myself getting frustrated with her in some of the things she does as I always think 'just tell him' or 'you know it would be easier if you just did that instead......' but, that is part of the fun of the character of Angela is that she always manages to find herself in a pickle of some kind! Another character that plays a big part in the book as she does in all the 'I heart' books, is Jenny Lopez, who is one of Angela's best friends. She always comes across in some ways a bit of a horrible person in certain ways but, generally is always there for Angela and most of the time has quite a big factor in helping Jenny out of the messes she gets herself into. I do like Jenny because she is outspoken and says what she thinks and in fact, this is the character that the author has a written a short story about, so I can only presume quite a lot of other people also like the character of Jenny!

Price:I didn't buy this book myself so I am not sure how much my friend paid for it but, since both myself and my friend buy books from the supermarkets, I would hazard a guess that she probably bought it as one of the offers. However, I know you can still buy this book for around the £4 mark which is really good for a brand new book.

Overall opinion:I once again enjoyed the latest in the 'I heart' book series and in fact, I think enjoyed this one even more than the last one! I am not sure what really makes me enjoy these books so much as it is a whole combination of things really from the characters who are so interesting, the locations used that are different every time making the books more enjoyable because the sights play a part too or just the fact now that with each one I read, I already know the characters and can just jump straight into the next instalment of what is going to happen. Of course I will be recommending this book and whilst there is no reason for you to not enjoy it as a standalone book, it would be so much more enjoyable if you read the other books in order first as then you really will get the know the characters and enjoy the book more so.

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Love it!

I love a good read , and you'll always find me with my nose in some kind of reading , whether it be a book or magazine., chick-lit novel or autobiography. I am a massive fan of Paige Toon and Sophie Kinsella and am always on the lookout for new authors. A couple of books which I have enjoyed reading in the past have been 'I Heart New York', 'I Heart Hollywood' and 'I Heart Paris', so I was excited to learn that there was a latest book in the series called 'I Heart Vegas'.

I Heart Vegas is a chick-lit novel by British Author Lindsey Kelk. I Heart Vegas is the fourth book in the series (following; I Heart New York, I Heart Hollywood and I Heart Paris). The book was released in the United Kingdom in 2011 and so it is fairly recent. The book is currently available from Amazon from as little as £0.01 which I think is excellent value for money.

~ * The Plot (as it appears on www.amazon.co.uk) * ~

Angela Clark loves her life in New York. She's a Brit who has conquered the Big Apple. Unfortunately, she's also a Brit who has lost her job. And when, just a couple of weeks before Christmas, the immigration department gets wind of this, Angela needs to find a job urgently. Or a husband. And she doesn't think her boyfriend Alex will be keen. A girls' weekend in Vegas with her best friend Jenny seems the perfect way to forget her troubles. From the minute they arrive Angela is swept up in a whirl of cocktails, outrageous outfits, late nights and brushes with the chapel of love. But rather than escaping trouble, Angela is up to her neck in it. But what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right?

The book consists of three hundred and fifty two pages of enjoyable and fun reading. I thought that the plot was a really good one. After reading three books in the series which feature the same character in each one, I was half expecting this book to be not that good as I had thought that author would have run out of things for the character to do. Yet I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it was so dramatic and exciting. One minor thing which I would have liked more of in the book is Christmas; the story mentions Christmas is coming and putting up the Christmas tree yet there is nothing that Christmassy. I thought that the story could have been more Christmassy - I would have loved to have known what New York and Las Vegas were like in snow. In a way I didn't understand why there was any need to mention Christmas if it wasn't going to be a Christmas read.

I thought that the characters were good. Obviously if you have already read the other books in the series, you will have already met the main character Angela and her best friend Jenny along with Angela's boyfriend Alex. The book is written in first person from Angela's point of view; I like this as it makes you feel really connected to the main character and helps you understand what they are feeling and going through. In a way, there is something quite irritating about Angela's best friend Jenny; I mean they talk as though the have been best friends all their lives, when in reality (or not in reality come to think of it as this is a fictional book after all), they have only met a few months ago. It annoys me how Jenny is seen as some 'superhero' character who is amazing; it just seems a little exaggerated. This certainly isn't enough to put me off though. I also thought that the other characters, some new, were good in this book as it made a refreshing change to have new characters as it livened things up a bit and made it more interesting.

I love Lindsey Kelk's books. She has such an amazing way with words. She makes great use of descriptive writing and I love how she describes everything so amazingly well. I almost felt as though I was actually in Las Vegas when I was reading this book!! If you haven't already been there, it certainly wants to go. The book is also very funny; the author is very witty and had me laughing out loud so many times. This book will definitely cheer you up. I really like the author, Lindsey Kelk's style of writing ; she sure knows how to grab her readers' attention and once she's 'got you' your'e hooked. I like how the events happen quite quickly yet not too fast , as it saves on reading loads of boring descriptive writing , so this book is really good for that! The book is very exciting and is a real page turner. I didn't find it to be that predictable which is a suprise as a lot of chick-lit books are very predictable. They're so easy to read that they are just perfect to read after a hard and busy day at work.

If you haven't read any of the other books in the series; do not panic as there is nothing you won't 'get' in this book as I think that everything is explained well enough for new readers to understand, whilst at the same time it doesn't go into too much detail for readers who already know what has happened previously. A perfect balance for new readers and readers who are already onboard. Although I do think that if you havn't read the previous two books in the series, then I would recommend that you do , so that you have a better insight of what has happened before this book. I really liked the fact that this book carried on from the last one , as often after reading a book I always hope that there is another one so that we can see what happened to the characters. It's great that the storyline carries on but uses different locations to continue the plot; very clever.

Another thing I like about this author (althought it doesn't really seem like a relevant point) is the fact that she bases the books on the series (by coincidence of course) on the places I always want to visit ; New York , Hollywood and Paris are all on my to-visit list , so for me that makes the books more exciting.

All in all, if you like chick-lit then I would definitely recommend this book to you! If you like Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series, then you will definitely love this book (and series).

Thanks for reading!March 2013Xdonzx / xd-o-n-z-x

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A great book for chick-lit fans

I have been a huge Lindsey Kelk fan since discovering her 2 years ago when Glamour gave a away free copies of her debut I Heart New York novel. Not previously a fan of "chick-lit", I'll admit, I only picked up the book out of boredom, intending to hand it in to the local charity shop. I read the New York book in night. So, needless to say when I Heart Vegas was released I ordered it for my Kindle, not wanting to have to wait for the paperback to be delivered.

I Heart Vegas is typical of Kelk's writing style-funny, girly and easy to read. I don't think you would have to read any of the other I Heart... books to understand the story line of Vegas but they are a worthwhile read anyway . The book follows the main character, Angela on a girl's trip to Vegas. There are a lot of laughs and drama throughout the book, which makes it difficult to put down. I won't say too much else about the story line since I'm not a fan of spoilers, but expect a Sex and the City story line which has Ugly Betty type humour.

Great for fans of the chick lit genre who want an easy, lightweight, funny read.

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Ignore the awful title and you'll find a book to make you smile!

I tend to be quite derisive of that genre known as "chick-lit". The term chick-lit itself does the genre no favours, and there is a lot of rubbish under that heading. I find most of it clichéd, sappy and poorly written. Yet there are some authors and novels which are worth reading, and so I occasionally give in to my urge for an easy, thoughtless read in the hope of finding something good. After all, we all love a happy ending, and you're almost guaranteed that with chick-lit.

I had no hopes for Lindsey Kelk's I Heart series. I got the first book, I Heart New York, free with a magazine, which never bodes well. Plus the title is awful. But then I read it, and the following two novels. Despite my irritation with the main character stating that at 26 she was "past it" (which is just a ridiculously unrealistic attitude), I wanted to continue with the story. And when I came across book four, I Heart Vegas, in the Kindle post-Christmas sale, I eagerly downloaded it. At that point, I thought it was time to admit that I like the series.

A I Heart Vegas begins, things are going well for Angela Clark, our heroine. Having run away to New York from England in book one, and had plenty of escapades in LA and Paris in books two and three, she is now living with Alex, the man of her dreams. But then she discovers that her visa is to be revoked, and facing an enforced return to the UK, she heads to Las Vegas with Jenny, her best friend, and while there makes a Very Bad Decision...

In many ways Angela is a typical chick-lit heroine. She has a weakness for shopping, drinks with her girlfriends and gets herself into all sorts of messes. I found her attitude to her age in I Heart New York really irritating, as I already mentioned (since when has 26 been considered old??), yet there is something endearing about her, and especially in her relationship with the lovely Alex, that just makes me want everything to work out for her. While simultaneously wanting to slap her for being an idiot.

Generally speaking, chick-lit is about love and finding The One - almost all novels in this genre feature women trying to find the perfect relationship. So the male lead plays an important part - we, the readers, need to like him so we can cheer when everything works out. Lindsey Kelk is right on the money with Alex Reid, Angela's boyfriend. He's gorgeous, sweet , loving and cool, and you always want them to work things out. In I Heart Vegas, I found myself well and truly on Alex's side after Angela made a mess of things yet again, which is unusual. You expect to be backing the girl - but Angela made a monumentally idiotic decision, and went about it in all the wrong ways, that I was definitely with Alex on his reaction to it.

The action of I Heart Vegas centres on the trip to Las Vegas, but there is plenty in New York too. I enjoyed the New York sections more, as there is something magical about the city. Like the characters, I found the trip to Vegas an interlude to the normal "real life" of the story, where everything went a bit mad.

The combination of the characters, relationships, setting and story make the I Heart series one that I want to keep returning to. I really enjoyed I Heart Vegas, but I'm looking forward to the next one even more - I Heart London, in which Angela returns to her home city. I'm looking forward to seeing what she manages to get up to here in London...

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A fun read

=I heart Vegas=

But I still can't spell it. I've googled the place, looked up hotels and looked at my friends pictures of the place in more detail and yet I still spell Vegas wrong every single time! Because that is what this book has made me do; research the place. I think this is the second of Lindsey's Kelks book that has given me a passion to go there one day. The first was New York, but then everyone wants to go there anyway but Las Vegas has never really done it for me, or so I thought. But reading this book it showed me how bright and vibrant and different it is.

=I heart various locations=

This is the forth in the I Heart series from Lindsey Kelk. As you may have gathered the first was New York followed by Hollywood, Paris and now Las Vegas. To set the scene for you the first was Angela running away from England after a rather nasty discovery at her best friend's wedding. Running to New York her life completely changed and she is still based there 18 months later when I heart Vegas starts.

=What is it about?=

Angela has been living with her hot musician boyfriend Alex for several months now and all is rosy. Until the day she receives a letter telling her her work visa has expired and unless she somehow manages to get a new one she has four weeks to depart the country! Angela really doesn't know what to do and after exhausting all other avenues reluctantly accepts her best friend Jenny's advice to marry Alex. But how will she ever ask him? The first third of the book is slower than the rest, setting the wheels in motion for the dramatic events that unfold in Vegas. I don't think the book is entirely predictable and there were some things I was right about and others not.

All the characters return including Jenny's ex Jeff who causes yet more heartache for Angela's best friend. Erin is back and there are a couple of new characters including Sadie whom you will dislike at first.

Like the first book, where I couldn't believe so much could happen in just a few days, the same applies here. The weekend to Vegas is only three or four days but every Vegas stereotype plus more seems to happen. Despite bad things happening it didn't dampen my spirits and the way brightness, extravagance and luxury is described along with the fact anything can happen has put this location on my to visit list.

The conclusion to the book, as you would except in a chick-lit, is satisfying and I can imagine what the contents of the next book (yet to be released), I heart London, will be.

=The book=

It seems standard practice to make a book in this genre as bright and eye-catching as possible and this is no exception. The white writing with the name of the book is set on a purple background with, who we are supposed to presume is Angela, dressed up in front of a fountain and hotel in Vegas. At the back of the book is a handy little guide to Las Vegas by Angela and contains sections on hotels, shopping, eating and drinking and clubs and would actually be useful if you were going there as they are all real places. It has an RRP of £6.99 but you can purchase it on Amazon for £3.89. It was published very recently in December 2011.

=Lindsey Kelk=

If you are interested in the author see my review on the first book, I heart New York. But what I will say here is that Lindsey has a couple of websites including one which is written in the style of Angela as a guide to the various locations. www.iheartvegas.co.uk

=Conclusion=

If you read books by the likes of Paige Toon and Sophie Kinsella then you will love this. It fits exactly in that category of easy to read, not having to think book and makes you feel you can do anything. You could technically read this without having read the other three books but it would be wise to read them to understand the relationships between people and their past as otherwise you may be left a little confused in parts. If this is your usual genre then you should get yourself a copy of this today!

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Another great Angela Clark outing!

Angela Clark loves her life in New York. She a Brit who's conquered the Big Apple. Unfortunately, she's also a Brit who's lost her job. And when, just a couple of weeks before Christmas, the immigration department gets wind of this, Angela needs to find a new job urgently. Or a husband. And she doesn't think her boyfriend Alex will be keen. A girls' weekend in Vegas with her best friend Jenny seems the perfect way to forget her troubles. From the minute they arrive Angela is swept up in a whirl of cocktails, outrageous outfits, late nights and brushes with the chapel of love. But rather than escaping trouble, Angela is up to her neck in it.... But what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas - right?

As fans of Lindsey Kelk will know, this is the 4th outing in the "I Heart..." following New York, Hollywood and Paris, with the 5th due out next year and being called I Heart London! I have loved each of the books so far, mostly because I love the heroine Angela Clark who is one of my favourite chick lit characters for a long while now! I have to say when I first saw the cover for I Heart Vegas, I thought it was stunning and easily the best one yet, and luckily it didn't disappoint when I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of the book too! I stuck in easily because I was desperate to read it and see if it was going to be another brilliant adventure for Angela, and I have to say it is probably my favourite book of the series so far!

We join Angela living in New York with boyfriend Alex, and everything actually seems to be going okay for once, except for the small problem of not having a job at the moment. Angela's good mood quickly disintegrates when she receives a letter from US Immigration telling her that due to the lack of a job, she has 30 days to leave the US, and her boyfriend Alex too. Angela is gutted and of course turns to best friend Jenny Lopez for help. However, her answer is to get Alex to marry Angela, something she really doesn't want to have to do just for a visa. So they decide to go on a girly mini-break to Las Vegas where Angela has to make a decision once and for all. As usual, Angela was a fantastic character, showing a vunerable side when she isn't sure how to deal with her problems yet as usual being hilarious and getting into more cock-ups than I could possibly count! It was, as usual, hilarious but I managed to finish it all too quickly as I never wanted to stop reading!

I really enjoyed reading about Alex and Angela's relationship, he is also a fab leading male character and I love the relationship that the pair share, from sharing their apartment in New York to everything else in their lives. However, my favourite relationship in the book is between Angela and Jenny, and boy is it put to the test in this book! Jenny is great, although she has some hidden sides which really become apparent in this book and really surprised me! The things these two get up to in the book are brilliant, from late night partying to dodgy jobs that Angela is kindly given by Jenny to try and "help her out"! There is a lot going on in this book from start to finish, the story moves along at a great pace and I found that I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to carry on Angela's adventure with her as it was such fun! Jenny is really the most vibrant character in the book, from her personality to her actions later on that did surprise me, but it allowed for her to grow a bit as a character, and really develop her friendship with Angela which was great to read about.

I loved the setting of Las Vegas, although it take quite a while for the book to move over there! It was fun reading about the city from Angela's point of view, as she has a great way of describing things through her "tourists eyes" that make them stand out in your mind. I loved Kelk's descriptions of the hotels, the casinos, everything that Angela comes across is described perfectly. Angela as usual manages to get herself into a few mishaps, but it's great to see the return of a few characters from past novels, including British actor James, who has a great part to play in this particular story. I really felt that there was a lot going on in this book, the plot was continually moving and it made it fun to read, because you just never knew what was coming round the corner. As usual, I finished this book feeling like I was leaving a friend, as I'd really gotten to know Angela again and get involved in her life, but I can't wait to see what is coming for her next in London.. surely things can only get better?! If you've loved the previous I Heart... stories then you will definitely want to read this but if you haven't yet been acquainted, then you won't go far wrong starting with this one!

ISBN: 978-0007345625. Published by Harper on 8th December 2011. Pages: 352. RRP: £6.99. Also available as an eBook.

Thank you to the publishers for sending me a copy to review for http://chicklitchloe.blogspot.com.